ATS-Friendly Resume Template 2026: Free Download + Complete Formatting Guide
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Resume Tips

ATS-Friendly Resume Template 2026: Free Download + Complete Formatting Guide

KraftCV TeamFebruary 10, 202616 min read

According to a 2025 report by Select Software Reviews, 88% of employers believe they lose qualified candidates during the ATS screening process. That means your resume might never reach a human recruiter — not because you lack qualifications, but because your template's formatting breaks the parser. Nearly 99% of Fortune 500 companies now use applicant tracking systems, and industry analysis suggests that nearly half of all ATS rejections stem from technical formatting issues rather than actual qualification gaps. The good news: every one of those formatting failures is preventable when you start with the right template.

What You'll Learn
- The exact font sizes, margin measurements, and spacing values that ATS parsers expect
- Why tables, text boxes, and graphics cause parsing failures — and what to use instead
- How modern ATS platforms like Greenhouse and Lever differ from legacy systems like Taleo
- A comprehensive ATS-friendly checklist you can use to audit any resume template
- Which file format to submit (PDF vs DOCX) depending on the company's ATS
- How KraftCV's 12 pre-optimized templates (8 free) eliminate formatting anxiety entirely

Metric Value Source
Fortune 500 companies using ATS Nearly 99% Select Software Reviews, 2025
Employers losing candidates to ATS 88% Select Software Reviews, 2025
Recommended body text size 10-12pt CVOwl, 2026
Recommended section header size 14-16pt CVOwl, 2026
Standard margin (safest) 1 inch (2.54 cm) CVOwl, 2026
Minimum margin (absolute floor) 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) CVOwl, 2026
Recommended line spacing 1.15-1.5 CVOwl, 2026
Standard font ATS parse rate ~97% (testing data) Industry testing, 2025-2026
Non-standard font ATS parse rate ~63% (testing data) Industry testing, 2025-2026

What Makes a Resume Template ATS-Friendly?

An ATS-friendly resume template is a document layout specifically designed to be parsed accurately by applicant tracking systems. These systems process your resume through four stages: extraction (converting PDFs or DOCX files to raw text), segmentation (identifying blocks like "Contact" and "Work Experience" based on header keywords), parsing (breaking blocks into fields like job title and dates), and ranking (calculating relevance based on parsed fields). As Careery.pro's 2026 guide explains, "The major parsing systems (RChilli, Sovren, Daxtra, and Workday proprietary) follow similar logic" across these four stages.

A template qualifies as ATS-friendly when it satisfies five core criteria. First, it uses standard, web-safe fonts that electronic character recognition can read without error. Second, it maintains proper margins and spacing so that no text gets clipped during extraction. Third, it avoids layout elements that disrupt reading order — tables, text boxes, and floating graphics. Fourth, it uses standard section headings that ATS segmentation algorithms can recognize. Fifth, it places all critical information (especially contact details) in the main document body rather than in headers or footers.

Key Finding: 88% of employers report losing qualified candidates to ATS screening, underscoring the fact that formatting failures are a systemic problem — not an edge case.

The distinction between a "beautiful" resume and an ATS-friendly resume is important. A visually striking template with custom icons, multi-column text boxes, and decorative elements may impress a human reader, but ATS software parses documents as structured text, not as visual layouts. When the parser encounters an element it cannot read, it either skips that content entirely or scrambles the reading order, causing your qualifications to disappear from the parsed output.

What Are the Best Fonts for an ATS-Friendly Resume?

Font selection directly affects whether ATS software can read your resume accurately. According to CVOwl's 2026 formatting guide, the recommended ATS-safe fonts are Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Georgia, Cambria, and Times New Roman. These are all universally recognized, web-safe typefaces that every major parsing engine can process without error.

Testing data from The Interview Guys' font analysis reveals that ATS systems successfully parse standard fonts approximately 97% of the time, compared to only about 63% for non-standard or decorative fonts. That 34-percentage-point gap means choosing a creative font like Papyrus, Comic Sans, or an obscure display typeface could cause more than one in three ATS parsers to misread your content.

Font Category Examples ATS Compatibility Perception by Recruiters
Sans-serif (recommended) Calibri, Arial, Helvetica Highest parse rate Perceived as competent and modern
Serif (safe) Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman High parse rate Perceived as trustworthy and traditional
Monospace (avoid) Courier, Consolas Variable parse rate Perceived as technical but hard to read
Decorative (never use) Papyrus, Comic Sans, script fonts Low parse rate (~63%) Perceived as unprofessional

As The Interview Guys note, "Modern ATS systems are no longer using OCR; it is an electronic process that reads the font character directly, not an interpretation of an image." This means the issue is not about visual clarity but about whether the font's character encoding maps correctly to the parser's expected input. Standard fonts have universal character mapping; decorative fonts often do not.

Pro Tip: Stick to a maximum of two fonts on your resume — one for headings (like Calibri Bold at 14-16pt) and one for body text (like Arial at 11pt). According to Microsoft's Word Blog, "Don't use more than two fonts to maintain readability."

The Microsoft Word Blog's 2026 resume fonts guide provides a clear size hierarchy: your name should be 18-24pt (the largest element), section headers at 14-16pt (bold), job titles at 11-12pt (bold), and body text at 10-12pt with 11pt being ideal. Never go below 10pt for any text. As The Interview Guys warn, "Anything smaller than 10pt runs the risk of being misread by older optical character recognition (OCR) software used by some job matching platforms."

ATS Font Parsing Success Rates (Source: Industry Testing 2025-2026)

What Are the Correct Margins and Spacing for ATS Resumes?

Margins and line spacing determine whether your content stays intact during parsing or gets clipped at the edges. According to CVOwl's 2026 guide, 1 inch (2.54 cm) is the safest margin size on all sides. This is the standard that virtually every ATS parser expects, and it also provides comfortable white space for human readers who review your resume after the ATS pass.

If you need to fit more content onto a single page, CVOwl notes that 0.75 inch is a good alternative, and 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) is the absolute minimum for print and ATS compatibility. TopResume's formatting guide echoes this range: "You can adjust between 0.5-1 inch to fit experience without crowding," but warns that "going below 0.5 inches is usually too tight and risks making your layout feel cramped." TopResume also notes that "automated ATS (applicant tracking systems) software have a much easier time scanning resumes with a clean 1-inch margin."

For line spacing, the CVOwl 2026 guide recommends 1.15 to 1.5 for body text. Teal's resume spacing guide corroborates this, stating that "1.15-1.5 line spacing improves scannability" and that "line spacing of 1.15-1.4 allows multi-line bullets to breathe." Between major sections, add 2-3 line spaces to create clear visual separation that helps both ATS segmentation and human readability.

Watch Out: Using single spacing (1.0) throughout your resume makes text dense and harder for ATS to segment correctly. While technically parseable, tight spacing reduces the visual separation between sections, which can confuse segmentation algorithms that rely on whitespace patterns to identify where one section ends and another begins.

Spacing Element Recommended Value Minimum Maximum
Top/bottom margins 1 inch 0.5 inch 1 inch
Left/right margins 1 inch 0.5 inch 1 inch
Body text line spacing 1.15-1.5 1.0 1.5
Between sections 2-3 line spaces 1.5 lines 4 lines
After section headings 1 line space 0.5 lines 2 lines

Why Do Tables, Text Boxes, and Graphics Fail ATS Parsing?

Tables, text boxes, and graphics are the three most common formatting elements that cause ATS parsing failures. Understanding the technical reason behind each failure helps you avoid them entirely.

Tables disrupt the reading order because ATS systems read them row by row rather than cell by cell. As Jobscan's columns analysis explains, "Tables and columns disrupt text extraction order, causing info to be skipped or jumbled." When you use a table to create a two-column layout, the parser reads across both columns in the same row, merging unrelated information. Your job title from Column A gets concatenated with a skill from Column B, producing garbled output that makes your resume unparseable.

Text boxes are even more problematic because ATS often treats them as floating elements disconnected from the document's main text flow. Jobscan warns that "ATS often ignore text inside floating text boxes." If you place your contact information or skills in text boxes, the parser may skip that content entirely. As ResumeMate's 2026 layout guide notes, "If your date format confuses the parser or your text boxes break the reading order, your resume goes to the 'Unparseable' pile."

Graphics, images, and icons fail because ATS software processes text, not pixels. EliteResumes' 2026 guide reports that "up to 88% of resumes containing visuals are discarded by certain ATS filters." Icons are often read as garbage characters like &%$#, and progress bars or skill rating graphics show nothing to the ATS at all. As Edligo's analysis of 1,000 rejected resumes confirms, "ATS software often fails to read visual elements like tables, columns, images, and icons, with content placed in these formats frequently getting skipped."

Key Finding: The Edligo rejected resume analysis found that "technical formatting errors are the #1 reason qualified candidates are rejected before a human ever sees their name."

Element What Happens in ATS Risk Level Safe Alternative
Tables Read row-by-row, scrambling column data High Use tab stops or spacing
Text boxes Skipped entirely or read out of order Critical Place text in document body
Images/logos Invisible to parser Critical Remove entirely
Icons Read as garbage characters (&%$#) High Use text labels instead
Skill bars/ratings Show nothing to ATS High List skills as plain text
Headers/footers Often skipped by parser High Move content to main body
Scanned PDFs No text layer to extract Critical Use text-based PDF or DOCX

How Should You Format Headers and Contact Information?

Contact information placement is one of the most overlooked causes of ATS failure. Jobscan's formatting guide states clearly: "Using headers and footers can cause parsing issues for the ATS, which only focus on the content within the main body of the resume." If you place your name, email, phone number, or LinkedIn URL in the document header or footer, the ATS may not extract that information at all.

Scale.jobs' 2026 ATS guide recommends placing "contact information at the very top, in the main body, not in header or footer." The system scans your resume "from the upper left corner to the lower right corner," so your name and contact details should be the first text elements the parser encounters in the main document body.

For section headings, ATS software is programmed to recognize standard labels. As OwlApply's 2026 ATS guide explains, "ATS software is programmed to recognize common labels like 'Work Experience,' 'Education,' 'Skills,' and 'Professional Summary.'" Using creative alternatives like "My Journey" instead of "Work Experience" or "Toolkit" instead of "Skills" confuses the segmentation algorithm. Scale.jobs warns that "if you get 'Creative' with your headers, the parser gets lost. If you name your Work Experience section 'My Journey,' the ATS might think it is a biography block and ignore all the keywords inside it."

Pro Tip: Use these exact section headings for maximum ATS compatibility: Professional Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Projects, and Certifications. These are the labels that every major ATS parser — including RChilli, Sovren, Daxtra, and Workday's proprietary system — is trained to recognize.

The recommended section order for an ATS-optimized resume follows the standard that most parsers expect: Contact Information first, then Professional Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Projects, and finally Certifications or Awards. This order mirrors how parsers sequentially process sections and ensures that your most important qualification data (experience and skills) appears in the zones where ATS algorithms weight content most heavily.

What Is the Best File Format for ATS: PDF or DOCX?

The PDF vs. DOCX debate has changed significantly as ATS technology has evolved. According to ResumeAdapter's 2026 formatting rules, "text-based PDFs preserve formatting and work with all modern ATS platforms including Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, and iCIMS." However, Jobscan's format comparison still recommends that "the best file format for an ATS resume is usually DOCX because it's the most consistently readable across applicant tracking systems."

The nuanced answer depends on which ATS the company uses. Careery.pro's 2026 guide notes that "systems like Greenhouse and Lever handle PDFs perfectly," while "older Taleo versions still prefer Word (.docx) files." Smallpdf's 2026 analysis confirms that "most modern systems can read a clean, text-based PDF. Problems appear when the file is scanned, image-only, or locked in ways that block text extraction."

The practical recommendation from Jobscan is straightforward: "If the job posting does not specify a format, a well-formatted Word resume is the safer choice, with a PDF version kept for direct recruiter emails." Keep both versions on hand. Use DOCX for online application portals where you cannot identify the ATS, and use PDF when sending directly to a recruiter or when the job posting specifically requests PDF format.

TL;DR:
- DOCX for online ATS portals (safest default)
- Text-based PDF for modern ATS (Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, Workday)
- Never submit scanned or image-based PDFs
- Check the job posting — if it specifies a format, use that format

How Can You Optimize Dates, Bullets, and Keywords for ATS?

Three formatting details that often get overlooked — date formats, bullet points, and keyword placement — can significantly affect your ATS score.

Date formatting must be consistent throughout your resume. Resumly.ai's 2026 guide identifies two acceptable formats: "MM/YYYY (03/2022) or Month Year (January 2022 or Jan 2022)." ATS systems parse dates to calculate employment duration, and Resume Worded's date format guide warns that "many ATS algorithms look for a month-year pair, so it's better to include the month (e.g., June 2020 — Present) rather than just the year." If you use MM/YYYY format, always include the leading zero: write 03/2022, not 3/2022, because as Resume Worded notes, formats like '5/2022' "can mislead the ATS."

Bullet points should use simple round bullets rather than custom symbols, checkmarks, or arrows. IntelligentCV's 2026 guide recommends "3-5 bullet points starting with action verbs" per position, with each bullet being 1-2 lines long. Follow the formula from IntelligentCV: "Action + What + Result + Tool/Skill." For example: "Built real-time data pipeline using Apache Kafka, reducing processing latency by 40%." Avoid weak verbs — Resume Worded's bullet point guide advises to "avoid using weak verbs like 'Assisted' or 'Helped', as these verbs don't clearly communicate your role in your achievement."

Keyword placement matters for ATS scoring algorithms. According to Uppl.ai's 2026 keywords guide, the practical target is "15-25 relevant keywords per resume" with a "sweet spot for keyword density: 2-3% of total word count." Crucially, Uppl.ai warns that "putting keywords only in the skills section instead of throughout your resume reduces their impact." Distribute keywords across your Professional Summary, Work Experience bullets, and Skills section. Modern ATS uses AI to detect unnatural language patterns, so Uppl.ai notes that "repeating keywords unnaturally gets flagged and rejected."

Keyword Placement Impact on ATS Scoring (Source: Uppl.ai 2026)

What Does a Complete ATS-Friendly Resume Checklist Look Like?

Use this comprehensive checklist to audit any resume template before submitting an application. Each item addresses a specific formatting requirement that ATS parsers evaluate during the extraction, segmentation, and parsing stages.

File Format

  • [ ] Saved as DOCX for online ATS portals or text-based PDF for direct submissions
  • [ ] Not a scanned or image-based PDF
  • [ ] File name uses your full name (e.g., Jane-Doe-Resume.docx)

Fonts

  • [ ] Using ATS-safe font: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Georgia, Cambria, or Times New Roman
  • [ ] Body text is 10-12pt (11pt recommended)
  • [ ] Section headers are 14-16pt bold
  • [ ] Name is 18-24pt (largest text on resume)
  • [ ] No more than two fonts used in the entire document
  • [ ] No decorative, script, or display fonts anywhere

Margins and Spacing

  • [ ] All margins set between 0.5 inch and 1 inch (1 inch is safest)
  • [ ] Line spacing set between 1.15 and 1.5
  • [ ] 2-3 line spaces between major sections
  • [ ] Consistent spacing throughout (no random gaps or cramped areas)

Layout and Structure

  • [ ] Single-column layout for all core content (safest option)
  • [ ] No tables used for layout purposes
  • [ ] No text boxes or floating elements
  • [ ] No images, logos, or headshots
  • [ ] No icons (they read as garbage characters)
  • [ ] No progress bars, skill ratings, or graphical elements
  • [ ] No background colors or shading on text blocks

Headers and Contact Info

  • [ ] Contact information placed in the main document body (not in header/footer)
  • [ ] Name is the first element at the top of the page
  • [ ] Email, phone, LinkedIn URL, and location are clearly listed
  • [ ] No information placed in document headers or footers

Section Headings

  • [ ] Using standard labels: Professional Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Projects, Certifications
  • [ ] No creative heading names (e.g., "My Journey," "Toolkit," "Career Saga")
  • [ ] Section headings are formatted consistently (same font, size, weight)
  • [ ] Sections follow standard order: Contact, Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, Projects

Dates

  • [ ] Consistent date format throughout (either MM/YYYY or Month Year)
  • [ ] Leading zeros included for single-digit months (03/2022, not 3/2022)
  • [ ] Both start and end dates included for each position
  • [ ] "Present" used for current positions (e.g., "Jan 2025 — Present")

Bullet Points

  • [ ] Using simple round bullets (not custom symbols, arrows, or checkmarks)
  • [ ] Each bullet starts with a strong action verb
  • [ ] Bullets are 1-2 lines long
  • [ ] 3-5 bullets per position
  • [ ] Bullets include quantified results where possible

Keywords

  • [ ] 15-25 relevant keywords distributed throughout resume
  • [ ] Keywords appear in Summary, Experience, and Skills (not just Skills)
  • [ ] No keyword stuffing or unnatural repetition
  • [ ] Keywords match the target job description

Final Quality Checks

  • [ ] Resume is 1-2 pages (single page for under 10 years of experience)
  • [ ] No spelling or grammar errors
  • [ ] All hyperlinks are functional
  • [ ] Text is selectable (not embedded in images)
  • [ ] Document opens correctly in both Word and a PDF reader

Pro Tip: After completing this checklist, run your resume through a free ATS resume checker to verify that parsers can extract your information correctly. Automated scoring tools can catch formatting issues that are invisible to the human eye.

How Do Modern ATS Platforms Differ from Legacy Systems?

Not all ATS platforms parse resumes the same way, and understanding the difference between modern and legacy systems helps you make smarter formatting decisions. According to ResumeAdapter's 2026 guide, "modern ATS platforms including iCIMS, Greenhouse, Taleo, and Workday have become more sophisticated," and these systems "increasingly use AI-powered parsing for better handling of varied formats."

Enhancv's 2026 myth-busting analysis found that "modern ATS can read both single-and two-column resumes when the structure is clean and text-based; the real compatibility best practices are to avoid text boxes, images, scanned PDFs, and nonstandard headers that break parsing — not to avoid columns themselves." This is an important nuance: the blanket advice to "never use columns" is outdated for modern parsers. However, Yotru's 2026 column analysis notes that "while modern ATS platforms can technically read columns, single-column formats reduce parsing ambiguity and perform better with AI-driven scoring and normalization layers."

The practical difference matters most when choosing file format. Modern platforms like Greenhouse and Lever handle text-based PDFs without issue. Legacy platforms, particularly older versions of Taleo, work more reliably with DOCX files. Since you often cannot determine which ATS a company uses before applying, defaulting to DOCX for online portals remains the safest strategy.

ResumeAdapter also highlights that "modern systems now use NLP and vector-based matching for semantic relevance." This means the ATS is not just pattern-matching keywords but understanding the meaning behind your experience descriptions. Well-written, naturally flowing bullet points that integrate relevant skills into achievement statements will score higher than keyword-stuffed skills lists. As CVAnywhere's 2026 guide notes, a "match score around 75-80% is a practical target, with 80% often described as a 'sweet spot' that avoids over-optimization."

Watch Out: Just because modern ATS can handle two-column layouts does not mean you should use them. Single-column layouts eliminate all parsing ambiguity and perform consistently across both modern and legacy systems. Unless you have a specific design reason, default to single-column.

How Does KraftCV Solve the ATS Formatting Problem?

Every formatting specification covered in this guide — fonts, margins, spacing, section headings, reading order, file output — has been baked into KraftCV's template system from the ground up. KraftCV offers 12 professionally designed resume templates, with 8 available completely free on the free tier. Every template is pre-optimized for ATS compatibility, which means you never have to manually audit margins, worry about text box parsing, or question whether your font choice will cost you an interview.

KraftCV's templates are built specifically for tech professionals — software engineers, developers, designers, product managers, and other technical candidates. Each template uses ATS-safe fonts (Calibri, Arial, and system-standard typefaces), maintains proper margins (1 inch default with adjustable settings), and outputs clean, text-based documents that parse correctly across every major ATS platform including Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, Workday, and even legacy Taleo systems.

Here is what makes KraftCV's approach different from generic template downloads:

Pre-validated formatting. Every template has been tested against ATS parsing requirements. The font sizes, spacing values, margin widths, and section heading labels all follow the specifications outlined in this guide. You do not need to check a 50-item formatting checklist when you use a KraftCV template — those checks are already built in.

Clean document output. KraftCV generates resumes without tables, text boxes, floating elements, or embedded graphics. The output is clean, structured text that parsers can extract accurately. Your contact information is placed in the main document body, not in headers or footers.

Tech-focused design. Unlike generic resume builders, KraftCV templates include sections for Projects, GitHub repositories, and technical skills categories that tech hiring managers expect to see. The templates accommodate the specific content types that software engineers need, such as multi-line bullet points with technical details, skill category groupings, and project descriptions with technology stacks.

No paywall surprises. Eight of KraftCV's 12 templates are completely free, with no watermarks, no export restrictions, and no hidden limitations. For a detailed comparison of free resume builder options, see our guide to free resume builders that we tested and ranked.

The resume builder market is growing rapidly — Verified Market Reports values it at USD 1.5 billion in 2024 and projects growth to USD 3.2 billion by 2033, driven by increasing competition in the job market and the rising emphasis on digital profiles. Within that market, the demand for ATS-optimized templates has become the primary differentiator, and KraftCV was built from the start to meet that demand for technical candidates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a single-column resume always perform better than a two-column resume in ATS?

A single-column layout is the safest choice because it eliminates all parsing ambiguity. According to Enhancv's 2026 testing, modern ATS can handle two-column resumes when the structure is clean and text-based. However, Yotru's 2026 analysis found that single-column formats "reduce parsing ambiguity and perform better with AI-driven scoring and normalization layers." If you are unsure which ATS the company uses, single-column is the risk-free default.

Should I submit my resume as a PDF or a DOCX file?

Use DOCX for online application portals when you do not know which ATS the company uses, because Jobscan confirms it is "the most consistently readable across applicant tracking systems." Use a text-based PDF when sending directly to a recruiter or when the job posting requests PDF format. Modern ATS platforms like Greenhouse and Lever parse text-based PDFs without issues, but older Taleo systems may not.

Can I use color on my ATS-friendly resume?

You can use minimal color for section headings or your name, but avoid using color as the only way to convey information. ATS parsers extract text regardless of color, so color choices do not affect parsing. However, some companies print resumes in black and white, so ensure your resume is fully readable without color. Never use colored backgrounds or shading behind text blocks.

What happens if I put my contact information in the document header?

Jobscan's formatting guide states that "ATS systems typically do not read headers and footers." If you place your name, email, or phone number in the document header, the ATS may skip that information entirely, creating a parsed profile with no contact details. Always place contact information in the main document body at the very top of the page.

How many keywords should I include in my resume?

Uppl.ai's 2026 keywords guide recommends "15-25 relevant keywords per resume" with a keyword density of "2-3% of total word count." For a 500-word resume, that translates to 10-15 keyword instances total. Distribute keywords across your Professional Summary, Work Experience, and Skills sections rather than concentrating them in one place.

Are ATS-friendly templates boring or plain?

ATS-friendly does not mean visually unappealing. A well-designed ATS template uses clean typography, proper spacing, and subtle visual hierarchy (bold headings, consistent alignment, appropriate white space) to create a professional appearance while remaining fully parseable. KraftCV's 12 templates demonstrate that ATS compatibility and visual polish are not mutually exclusive.

Do I need to customize my template for every job application?

The template formatting itself does not need to change between applications — the same ATS-friendly template works for every submission. What should change is the content: tailor your Professional Summary, keyword emphasis, and bullet point phrasing to match each specific job description. Aim for a 75-80% keyword match with the posting, as CVAnywhere describes this as the "sweet spot" that avoids over-optimization.

Why do skill rating graphics (progress bars, star ratings) hurt ATS compatibility?

ATS parsers process text, not visual elements. A progress bar showing "Python: 90%" renders as nothing in the parsed output — the ATS sees neither the skill name nor the rating. EliteResumes' 2026 guide confirms that "progress bars or skill rating graphics show nothing to ATS." List skills as plain text (e.g., "Python, JavaScript, React, PostgreSQL") for reliable parsing.

Sources

  1. Select Software Reviews (2025). "Applicant Tracking System Statistics." https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/blog/applicant-tracking-system-statistics
  2. CVOwl (2026). "Resume Format Fonts, Margins and Spacing: A Complete Guide for 2026." https://www.cvowl.com/blog/resume-format-fonts-margins-and-spacing
  3. Microsoft Word Blog (2026). "The best resume fonts, sizes, and formatting tips." https://word.cloud.microsoft/create/en/blog/best-resume-fonts/
  4. Careery.pro (2026). "How to Get Your Resume Past ATS in 2026." https://careery.pro/blog/resume-applications/how-to-get-resume-past-ats
  5. ResumeAdapter (2026). "ATS Resume Formatting Rules (2026)." https://www.resumeadapter.com/blog/ats-resume-formatting-rules-2026
  6. Edligo (2025). "I Analyzed 1,000 Rejected Resumes. Here's What ATS Actually Sees." https://www.edligo.net/job-search-tips/i-analyzed-1000-rejected-resumes-heres-what-ats-actually-sees-and-its-not-what-you-think/
  7. Enhancv (2026). "Busting ATS Myths: Comprehensive Testing of Popular Resume Builders in 2026." https://enhancv.com/blog/busting-ats-myths/
  8. Jobscan (2026). "You Need to Avoid These ATS Resume Formatting Mistakes." https://www.jobscan.co/blog/ats-formatting-mistakes/
  9. Jobscan (2026). "Can the ATS Read Tables and Columns on Your Resume?" https://www.jobscan.co/blog/resume-tables-columns-ats/
  10. Jobscan (2025). "Resume PDF vs Word: Which Should You Choose?" https://www.jobscan.co/blog/resume-pdf-vs-word/
  11. The Interview Guys (2026). "The Psychology of Resume Fonts." https://blog.theinterviewguys.com/the-psychology-of-resume-fonts/
  12. EliteResumes (2026). "Why Your Resume Gets Rejected by ATS." https://eliteresumes.co/career-resources/ats-optimization/why-resume-rejected-ats.html
  13. TopResume (2026). "Best Resume Margins: Professional Formatting Guide." https://topresume.com/career-advice/best-margin-size-on-your-resume
  14. Teal (2026). "Resume Spacing: Best Line Spacing & Examples." https://www.tealhq.com/post/resume-line-spacing
  15. ResumeMate (2026). "Tables, Columns & Text Boxes: Do They Break ATS?" https://www.resumemate.io/blog/tables-columns-text-boxes-do-they-break-ats-safer-layouts/
  16. Yotru (2026). "Resume Columns & ATS: Single vs Two Column Analysis." https://yotru.com/blog/resume-columns-ats-single-vs-double-column
  17. Smallpdf (2026). "Can ATS Read PDF Resumes in 2026?" https://smallpdf.com/blog/do-applicant-tracking-systems-prefer-resumes-in-pdf-format
  18. OwlApply (2026). "ATS-Friendly Resume Guide (2026)." https://owlapply.com/en/blog/ats-friendly-resume-guide-2026-format-keywords-score-and-fixes
  19. Scale.jobs (2026). "ATS Resume Format 2026: The Only Resume Design Guide You Need." https://scale.jobs/blog/ats-resume-format-2026-design-guide
  20. Resumly.ai (2026). "Tips for Formatting Resume Dates Consistently for ATS." https://www.resumly.ai/blog/tips-for-formatting-resume-dates-consistently-to-improve-ats-compatibility
  21. Resume Worded (2026). "The Proper Date Format To Use on Your Resume." https://resumeworded.com/date-format-resume-key-advice
  22. Resume Worded (2026). "How to Write Resume Bullets That Get Interviews." https://resumeworded.com/resume-bullet-points
  23. IntelligentCV (2026). "ATS Resume Format 2026: Step-by-Step Guide." https://www.intelligentcv.app/career/ats-resume-format-guide/
  24. Uppl.ai (2026). "ATS Resume Keywords Guide: What Actually Works in 2026." https://uppl.ai/ats-resume-keywords/
  25. CVAnywhere (2026). "How to Optimize Resume for ATS in 2026." https://cvanywhere.com/blog/optimize-resume-for-ats
  26. Verified Market Reports (2025). "Resume Building Tool Market Size, Industry Trends." https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/resume-building-tool-market/

Ready to Build a Resume That Gets Interviews?

KraftCV helps tech professionals create ATS-optimized resumes in minutes. Choose from 12 professionally designed templates — 8 completely free — and never worry about formatting again. Every template is pre-validated for ATS compatibility with safe fonts, proper margins, clean document structure, and standard section headings built in. Get Started Free